The Museum now oversees six buildings

My grandmother warned that the reward for work well done is more work . . . .

It all started with a house

In 1999, the Township approached the Museum—then housed in two rooms of the School Board Offices—to ask if we would take on the rehabilitation of an 18th century (in its oldest part) farmhouse being moved to parkland. Despite a modest membership and an annual budget that barely reached $5,000, we said “yes” to the more than $750,000 project.

The house was moved in 2005. We raised money, managed contractors, recruited volunteers, populated three galleries, and opened the doors to the Eden Woolley House, the Museum’s new home, four years later (record time as such projects go).

Added playhouse and pool house

In 2008, we relocated the Victorian Ryan playhouse to the Woolley House grounds. (It had been rescued and moved to the school board property years before.) In 2014, we took responsibility for the Pool House behind the Woolley House, cleaned and secured it, and now use it for storage. We recently added a shed to the House grounds for additional storage.

Museum member Joe Carey by the Cow Barn he’s worked tirelessly to rescue.

The Cow Barn and Tower, October 2018.

The Tower loomed large

All the time we were working on the House and ancillary buildings, the handsome nearby Tower on adjacent parkland loomed large. It once housed water pumping equipment for the farm that occupied the surrounding acres. It sat, visible from the Woolley House, exposed to the elements and wildlife, slowly rotting away. Even in its sorry state, it stood as a compelling symbol of Ocean’s rural past.

Though weary from the House restoration, in 2011 we took the first steps to rescue the Tower.

We secured grants from the 1772 Foundation and the Township. We replaced roofs, restored windows, added electric and security systems, rebuilt the porch, fumigated, painted, cleared brush, and more.

The Tower is stabilized. It sits, gleaming white and secure for all to see. There’s more work to be done: heating and AC, stairs, and interior finishing. Our vision is to open the Tower as an adjunct to the Museum with a permanent display on the region’s farming history.

And finally, the Cow Barn

Just a few feet from the Tower sits a small barn. As we started work on the Tower, it was barely visible through the vines and brush that enveloped it. It, too, was a charming reminder of our farming past.

So tempting. But no! Our plate was already more than full. What happened next tells you all you need to know about the Museum.

Member Joe Carey “adopted” the Cow Barn. “I couldn’t get that lonely structure off my mind,” Joe explains. “It was being ignored and destroyed by the elements. I started stopping by, pulling off a few vines. Soon I was there most days—scraping, repairing, taking stop-gap measures to stem the decay.”

Joe’s commitment drew supporters. In 2018, we talked to the Township and added the Cow Barn to our roster of buildings. Volunteers from the Eatontown Lions Club scraped and are returning to paint the exterior. We found grants to repair the roof.

We estimate another two years before the Cow Barn opens to the public. But stay tuned. We’re on a roll.